Prakash Jha's Dil Kya Kare is overall an interesting and moving dramatic feature. The film starts with some rather twisted proceedings and works as a semi-thriller. It is later when it efficiently turns into a serious drama dealing with the complexity of marriage, relationships and family values, provoking different moral thoughts from its viewers. Dil Kya Kare is made quite convincingly, and the narrative style is generally very good, though as expected from Prakash Jha, he mixes the usual Hindi film ingredients with realistic situations. The film does tend to drag at points, mainly because some of its sub-plots and attempts at comedy are redundant distractions from the main issue. It is of course Jha's effective portrayal of the characters, their trials and tribulations, their conflicts and their ultimate obligation to solve their dilemmas and take crucial decisions, that elevates it to an altogether higher level.
The acting is definitely one of the reasons Dil Kya Kare remains steadily believable and riveting. Ajay Devgan is very good in a controlled performance as a man torn between his wife and his past lover, unable to choose one. Kajol delivers another excellent and heartbreaking performance in a role that is contrary to her own image of an assertive, headstrong and vibrant girl. As Nandita, she is unusually inhibited and subdued and plays the role with subtlety, sincerity and depth that make the viewers really sympathise with her character. Mahima Chaudhry is the complete opposite of Kajol here, but hers is perhaps the most impressive performance in the film. She is terrific in an impulsive, unrestrained and compelling portrayal of a woman who is defied by her own insecurity and fear of losing her family. Chandrachur Singh is given very little scope to make an impact and he is okay.
Dil Kya Kare wavers between a thought-provoking drama and a typical tearjerker, but it is effective enough and is generally engaging and touching. The music is also very well composed by Jatin-Lalit. The title song and "Do Dilon Ki" are my favourite songs - very melancholic and melodious. Towards the end, the movie becomes very intense and as mentioned, the climax may certainly extract different moral views from the audience. The ending is really poignant and sad, but it brings the film to its much-awaited solution, which is not perfect but it is probably the way most people would want it to be. Lovers of Hindi family dramas will most certainly love this movie. I recommend you to watch Dil Kya Kare, mainly for its innovative story and convincing performances from the main cast. It is not flawless, but it is a worthy picture nonetheless.
